1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to medical devices, and their methods of use, and more particularly to devices, and methods of use, utilized for the repair and reconnection of various tissues of the body. The present invention may be useful in a variety of applications including but not limited to minimally invasive devices and methods for repair or reshaping of improperly functioning heart valves or heart tissue.
2. Description of Related Art
Bringing together tissues in closer proximity to one another is a typical means for closing wounds such as catheter puncture sites during percutaneous procedures (angioplasty, stenting, endograft procedures and the like), as well as in stomach stapling for the morbidly obese, gastrostomy placement, etc. Although these procedures all may benefit from the inventions described herein, one particularly useful and immediate benefit for these devices, methods and systems is in the bringing together, or coaptation, of heart valve leaflets so that they close properly against the relatively high pressures during the contraction of the heart muscle so as to improve the pumping efficiency of the heart muscle. Furthermore, the present invention additionally provides new and novel devices, methods and systems for the percutaneous endovascular repair of the valves of the heart and for their modification and subsequent improvement in cardiac valve function.
Mitral valve regurgitation is a condition in which the leaflets of the heart valve do not properly close during contraction (systole) of the heart. This permits blood to flow in a retrograde fashion from the ventricle of the heart back into the atrium of the heart. The pumping efficiency of the heart is compromised and the result, if left unchecked, can be progressive heart failure resulting in extreme fatigue or worse and the inability of the patient to lead a normal life.
Although there are numerous reasons for damage to the valves of the heart, the typical treatment is often surgery. During surgical repair of the valves, the chest is usually opened, at least in part, to allow enough room for the surgeon to perform a repair or replacement of the damaged valve. This usually requires that the patient be placed on a bypass machine to pump the blood while the surgeon operates on the stopped heart muscle. For obvious reasons, this can be very traumatic on the patient and recovery may take many months. Additionally, surgery may not be an option for some patients due to limited possibility for recovery, concurrent disease, or age.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide an alternative to open heart surgery to modify, repair or replace a damaged heart valve without requiring the patient's chest to be opened and/or the patient placed on bypass during the procedure.